The actress bade farewell to the show last Thursday.
During the January 4 episode of top-rating primetime action drama ‘FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,’ a suspenseful duelo between Tanggol (played by Coco Martin) and Ramon (Christopher de Leon) ended up in an tragedy.
This, as Ramon’s sister Olga (Irma Adlawan) attempted to assassinate Tanggol, only to be foiled by Ramon’s wife and Tanggol’s teenage sweetheart Mokang (Lovi Poe).
As Mokang tried to caution Tanggol from the impending danger, she acted as his human shield and was, in effect, shot by Olga.
After the episode’s broadcast, the character’s name and actress Lovi Poe trended on social media as viewers share their sadness and anguish over the departure of the beloved character from the TV series.
In a post on Instagram, Poe penned a letter to the entire production and viewers of ‘Batang Quiapo’.
Lovi said that she is “truly blessed to have been part of a project that represents my father’s name. It was a first and it will always mean the world to me.”
“A big part of my 2023 was breathing life into a character I have grown to love — what a privilege it was to play Mokang. She was a fighter and she taught me how it is to truly be free. It really was a tough decision for me to make but I have decided to turn the page,” the actress added.
She also extended her appreciation to her bosses at ABS-CBN, the people behind the camera, and director-slash-on-screen partner Coco Martin.
“Direk Coco, my dad’s legacy is in great hands. Salamat at pinagpapatuloy mo,” Poe wrote to Martin.
[“Direk Coco, my dad’s legacy is in great hands. Thank you for continuing his legacy.”]
In an interview by ABS-CBN, Poe shared that her decision to leave ‘Batang Quiapo’ came as she was weighing things that she wanted to do with her career.
She also denied rumors that she is already pregnant with her first child with husband Monty Blencowe.
‘FPJ’s Batang Quiapo’ is Lovi’s second television project with ABS-CBN since she transferred to the company back in 2021.
Her first was the Philippine adaptation of ‘Flower of Evil,’ where she was paired with Piolo Pascual, and the iWantTFC Original ‘Sleep With Me’ with Janine Gutierrez.
Prior to joining the Kapamilya network, she had done projects like ‘Malaya’ with Zanjoe Marudo for iWant in 2020 and guest appearances in shows like ‘Magandang Buhay’.
‘Batang Quiapo’ is also close to home for Lovi, as the original 1986 film where the series is based on was topbilled by her father Fernando Poe, Jr.
Despite Mokang’s death, the story of ‘FPJ’s Batang Quiapo’ will continue to unfold weeknights on ABS-CBN platforms, A2Z, and TV5.